Ali MacGraw is an iconic actress remembered for the starring role in the 1970 romantic movie Love Story. She was entangled in three marriages in her whirlwind personal life. Her first husband, Robin Hoen, played an important part in the initial stages of her career, though their marriage lasted just a year. Regardless of the extremely short period of time, Robin was a significant part of MacGraw’s career path in the very beginning. This article will cover their love story, and information will be drawn from Robin Hoen’s background, his marriage, and how their paths parted ways.
Ex-wife: Ali MacGraw
Ali MacGraw was one of the most iconic American actresses who gained a wider recognition due to her acting roles in Goodbye, Columbus and Love Story, which secured her critical acclaim and the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. Born in 1939 in Pound Ridge, New York, she first launched her career in fashion, later moving to acting. The first marriage was to Robin Hoen, a Harvard student, from 1960 until 1962. It was quite short, but this started the American public’s eye on her. MacGraw continued to marry two more times: to producer Robert Evans and actor Steve McQueen. Both of them also ended in divorce. She has a son, Josh Evans, from one of those marriages, who is a film director and producer. Yet despite the setbacks, MacGraw has kept a name that is particularly associated with career and timeless appeal, in general, and with Love Story, which catapulted her into an international star. In her 85-year-old life today, MacGraw was remembered for her services to film and fashion.
The Wedding of Robin Hoen and Ali MacGraw
During the early 1960s, Ali MacGraw met Robin Hoen while working for famous fashion editor Diana Vreeland. Ali was just starting to get her feet into the fashion world as a student at Wellesley College. Eventually, the two dated briefly and married in 1961.
Ali has spoken fondly of their early days, referring to Robin as a “beautiful man.” Briefly, the two were poised to enter the ranks of the American elite. It was short-lived, however, as the two divorced in 1962, just a year into their marriage.
One of the more interesting dynamics of their relationship was the push for Ali to become part of high society. In her pursuit of being listed in the Social Register, Ali began having professional headshots taken by famous photographer Melvin Sokolsky; these subsequently granted her a job as a stylist. It was this exposure in the world of fashion that other opportunities began to open, which would lead Ali to acting. Unfortunately, this turning point for Ali coincided with the dissolution of her marriage to Robin Hoen.
Ali MacGraw’s career after the divorce:
Ali MacGraw’s career began to spiral upwards after her divorce from Robin Hoen. She was an established name in fashion, and then she began to act, after which she received great reviews for her performances. She first hit it big with Goodbye, Columbus in 1969, which made people notice her and gave her good publicity. However, her performance as Jenny Cavalleri in the movie Love Story catapulted her into stardom.
While Robin Hoen did not stay in the public limelight after their divorce, Ali MacGraw’s life and career remained in the public eye. She would later go on to marry two more times, first to Hollywood producer Robert Evans and then to the iconic actor Steve McQueen. Both of them would end in divorce, but they were far more publicized than her brief union with Robin.
Robin Hoen’s Role in Ali MacGraw’s Journey
Although they were married for only a year, Robin Hoen played a role in the initial stages of Ali MacGraw’s rise to fame. His family’s expectations for her to be listed in the Social Register inadvertently influenced her to get better and improve in the world of fashion. It was the headshots by Melvin Sokolsky that served as a point in her career where different opportunities opened, one of which made her an actress. The marriage was short-lived, but it became an important milestone in her life.
Robin Hoen’s Life After Divorce
After the divorce, Robin Hoen faded from the limelight, and little is known about either his professional or personal life thereafter. His low profile greatly contrasted with the public life of Ali MacGraw, which continued to attract attention for decades. Regarding his net worth, there is limited information available in the public domain; this perhaps indicates that he remained out of the public eye since their separation.
Conclusion
Robin Hoen was, for the most part, a private character who only momentarily came out of his shell with Ali MacGraw, prior to her rise to stardom. The marriage with her in the early 1960s was short-lived but fell squarely in the period when Ali rose to become a household name in both fashion and film. Though his life after the divorce remains relatively unknown, Robin’s role in Ali MacGraw’s early career cannot go unnoticed. The short-lived marriage, brief though it may be, reminds one how often precarious relationships set greater life trajectories, even when it felt like little more than a stepping stone.